The carnivore diet thread

[Emperor Constantine]

I can't manage full carnivore; I've got to have at least a little fiber or my day is very unpleasant. I have found that severely limiting carbs while shoveling meat and eggs down my throat works wonders for my physique though.

 

[Simeon_Strangelight]

I went full carnivore for a few days at a time, then a bit of carbs and some sauerkraut on the side.

It's true that you lose bodyweight for some. Sometimes getting not the highest-quality beef or pork does not seem to be a disadvantage, because ingesting less iron is not bad as some long-term carnivores can have an overload of iron. I heard it only from 100%-carnis who went for 6+ years on beef only.

Then on the other side you have the 10-20+ year old veterans who report doing it with all kinds of meats and having zero issues, iron-levels not even being an issue either. So lesser quality meats sometimes is a plus there.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it - unless you are one of the few men out there with chronic issues, then full carnivore is a good cutting tool and an intermittent diet. Though I do think that a 75-90%+ carni diet may be good.

Currently the average American eats the opposite - 75-85% plant-based, so the opposite is better for averages. I even heard people getting slimmer on a diet of hamburgers only because they simply cut down the plant-percentage and all seed-oils.

Either way - interesting thread...

 

[Leonard D Neubache]

Quality of meat is definitely a factor. I used to think that decent quality meat was just about taste and texture but since I've been on this diet I've come to realise it's a lot more important than just those two factors.

On the occasions I've had to buy meat from the supermarket it hasn't left me feeling as revitalized as when I get it from my local butcher.

 

[FilipSRB]

I went strict carnivore last winter for around 3 to 4 months eating red meat, organ meat (mostly livers) and pork bacon. I fell of the wagon during a skiing vacation (not because of the skiing effort itself though, that went great) but I plan to start again in a couple of days. I did not find any issue in the lack of variety, in fact I enjoyed the ease of preparation and grocery shopping. Health advantages included weight loss of around 10kgs/22 pounds (slimming 10cm/4inches in the abdomen area), improved psoriasis, improved sleep quality as well as a reduced amount of sleep needed (I started waking after six hours of sleep completely refreshed, instead of usual seven and a half), no more bleeding gums or tooth aches/sensitivities of any kind, not a single case of heartburn or any other digestive discomfort, improved focus and general sense of well being.

Histamine intolerances can be a problem on this way of eating, I found that I did not tolerate slow cooked meats very well which I did not have an issue with at all on a regular diet (did not notice as much of an issue with minced/hamburger meat, as I luckily had a supply of very fresh source). This issue would probably improve over time.

From reading other people's experiences on various facebook/reddit groups and listening to various podcasts I am pretty convinced that this is as close to a panacea diet as you can get. If you have any type of chronic problem or illness you owe it to yourself to try it out for an extended period. Besides personal anecdotal testimonies you can read and listen to experiences of Paleomedicina institute in Hungary which to my knowledge so far the only medical facility in the world that uses this type of diet to heal/control various illnesses. You can read their case reports that they published in various journals from eliminating type I diabetes to controlling serious cancers cases with their variants of this diet.

The Fat of the Land by Vilhjalmur Stefansson should be your first reading stop if you are interested in this way of eating, it has convinced me to give it a try as it gave me sufficient evidence not just of short health benefits but of the long term sustainability of the diet.

 

[Leonard D Neubache]

I didn't consider it but now that you mentioned the gums, I don't get any blood when I brush which has always been an issue for me no matter what dental routine I've undertaken in the past.

I've begun to suspect that the carnivore diet is equally a question of what you're not eating anymore rather than simply what you are eating. It's possible you could get similar results with fasting or other minimalist diets that cut out problem-food-groups or things like gluten.

 

[FilipSRB]

You are exactly right, the carnivore diet is the ultimate elimination diet, but not just because it eliminates carbs and toxins used in modern agriculture and food preparation but also in eliminating plant matter that is toxic (oxalates for example). There is nothing in the plants that you actually need and can't get from eating meat (and animal fats), and in fact all the nutrients in the meats are more bioavailable then in plant matter.

This video sums it up very nicely:

 

[Simeon_Strangelight]

I didn't consider it but now that you mentioned the gums, I don't get any blood when I brush which has always been an issue for me no matter what dental routine I've undertaken in the past.

I've begun to suspect that the carnivore diet is equally a question of what you're not eating anymore rather than simply what you are eating. It's possible you could get similar results with fasting or other minimalist diets that cut out problem-food-groups or things like gluten.

The thing is that we don't particularly know why it works:

https://meatrx.com/category/success-stories/

Water fasts and other elimination diets have beneficial results. They used to have raw milk clinics where they gave people only high quality raw milk with massive results.

But no tribe on earth subsisted on milk alone - carni yes.

At this stage of generally weak science I would say - if it works, then do it. A predominantly carni diet is probably best anyway - for some a 100% one.

The best description is probably that it's a nourishing elimination diet - but one you can live off long-term as well.

 

[whitewashedblackguy]

You are exactly right, the carnivore diet is the ultimate elimination diet, but not just because it eliminates carbs and toxins used in modern agriculture and food preparation but also in eliminating plant matter that is toxic (oxalates for example). There is nothing in the plants that you actually need and can't get from eating meat (and animal fats), and in fact all the nutrients in the meats are more bioavailable then in plant matter.

This video sums it up very nicely:

That's one of the vids that got me into carnivore.

 

[Australia Sucks]

The main problem I see these days with plant foods is that humans are not consuming them in the traditional manner. Traditional recipes passed down over hundreds of years are often prepared in specific ways to optimize nutrition. My grandma whenever she would eat almonds she would soak them in a bowl of water overnight and peel the skin. Long before anybody knew anything about "activated" nuts. Any food she cooked (soups, stews etc with beans or lentils) were generally made with the beans being rinsed in water multiple times and then left in a bowl of water overnight (which we now know helps reduce phytic acid, etc). Soups often had fresh stock made from chicken or meat bones, etc.

She always made rice from Jasmine rice (been found to better than brown rice or other forms of rice). The rice was washed multiple times to wash off the starch and then soaked in water before being cooked slowly. Also food combinations are important kebabs served with rice often have sumac and saffron on the rice and the side dish is often a small plate of fresh herbs and cucumber yoghurt. The sumac and saffron have been shown to aid in food digestion, and I am sure the fresh mint had a purpose as well.

Traditional bread was always left at least 24 hours for the yeast to die off.

The problem with modern diets is people just make recipes up and eat whatever food they like in any old haphazard manner. In traditional cuisines food preparation and food combinations are absolutely crucial. That is where I suspect a lot of problems come from. Plant based foods are trickier to eat and can be prone to causing more problems. Traditional societies had methods of minimizing the negative effects (portion sizes, food combinations, frequency of different foods being consumed, preparation methods, etc). Modern diets do not hence the plethora of health problems that can be caused by eating plant matter in this day and age (aside from the other issues of declining mineral density/richness of soil, GMO, pesticides, etc). I agree with a carnivore diet there is less need to be careful.

I am interested to hear your thoughts Simeon.

 

[SlickyBoy]

My grandma whenever she would eat almonds she would soak them in a bowl of water overnight and peel the skin. Long before anybody knew anything about "activated" nuts.

Why did she peel them (and how, now that I think of it)? Some argue that after soaking the skin should be left on.

 

[Australia Sucks]

I do not know why. She just peeled them because of tradition I guess. Maybe when science catches up to tradition we will realise there was a sound reason for it.

 

[Iconoclast007]

Im 100 % strict carnivore.

I eat beef only. Mostly beef ribs, beef marrow, beef broth and beef liver (raw) .

I stopped the eggs, bacon, ch8cken etc a few weeks back and the difference was noticeable.

I just feel like for the money you cannot beat the nutritional and satiated value of beef. Sure eggs and chicken are cheap, but they make me feel not so good andnIve got to eat much more in weight and volume compared to beef to be satiated.

Ive lost about 20 lbs of fat and gained some dense muscles. My health has drasticly improved in all regards. I started the diet for autoimmune reasons but i would reccomend it to anyone.

 

[kel]

Im 100 % strict carnivore.

I eat beef only. Mostly beef ribs, beef marrow, beef broth and beef liver (raw) .

I stopped the eggs, bacon, ch8cken etc a few weeks back and the difference was noticeable.

I just feel like for the money you cannot beat the nutritional and satiated value of beef. Sure eggs and chicken are cheap, but they make me feel not so good andnIve got to eat much more in weight and volume compared to beef to be satiated.

Ive lost about 20 lbs of fat and gained some dense muscles. My health has drasticly improved in all regards. I started the diet for autoimmune reasons but i would reccomend it to anyone.

If you like beef, try lamb/mutton. It's beef++ basically.

 

[Fortis]

Quality of meat is definitely a factor. I used to think that decent quality meat was just about taste and texture but since I've been on this diet I've come to realise it's a lot more important than just those two factors.

On the occasions I've had to buy meat from the supermarket it hasn't left me feeling as revitalized as when I get it from my local butcher.

I suspect this has to do with the fact that butchers tend to give animals a dignified death. I have no evidence, but I think if you butcher an animal with a machine, it just isn't as good.

If you treat it well, give it a good life (or whatever constitutes a good life for a food animal) and then kill it, cleanse the meat and sell it, you're selling more nourishing food.

I've noticed the same thing about wild game meat. There's just some intangible quality to it lacking in farmed animals.

 

[FullThrottleTX]

I've definitely considered Carnivore, but I don't know how anyone deals with going out to eat.
Are you just ordering steaks? Picking the beef out of sandwiches?

 

[kel]

Going out to eat is kryptonite for any diet, really. I used to love going to restaurants, and I still do occasionally, but the way my colleagues eat at restaurants every day seems stressful and unhealthy to me.

 

[FullThrottleTX]

Going out to eat is kryptonite for any diet, really. I used to love going to restaurants, and I still do occasionally, but the way my colleagues eat at restaurants every day seems stressful and unhealthy to me.

I agree. I cook most of my meals.
However, given how strict the carnivore diet is and how cheating can basically ruin your day in the bathroom, I'm just am wondering -- like if you go on a date or are having lunch with a friend, these things always happen regardless of your normal eating habits.

It doesn't seem like you can do the carnivore diet without being strict given the gut/intestinal flora changes and how you won't be able to tolerate much of anything after being on it for a while.

 

[flanders]

You go to a place that serves steak and tell the waitstaff not to cook it in vegetable oil, substitute sides for bacon, and if steak isn't an option then eggs and bacon or bunless burgers *(omelets sometimes have pancake batter mixed in and everything egg is fried in vegetable oil but that's all one can do unfortunately). Keto and Atkins have been around a long while and most restaurants are aware of a low carb diet.

 

[FullThrottleTX]

You go to a place that serves steak and tell the waitstaff not to cook it in vegetable oil, substitute sides for bacon, and if steak isn't an option then eggs and bacon or bunless burgers *(omelets sometimes have pancake batter mixed in and everything egg is fried in vegetable oil but that's all one can do unfortunately). Keto and Atkins have been around a long while and most restaurants are aware of a low carb diet.

I don't think it's going to work for most situations. Steak is usually the priciest thing on the menu and if we go to a more casual joint, it may not be an option at all. I cringe when people make elaborate substitutions at restaurants...

 

[Intuitive]

I've been 100% carnivore for a week now with the prior few months being carnivore adjacent-- very low carbs mostly from fruit and a small amount of bread or oatmeal. I wasn't able to completely cut out the carbs because I still had lingering hunger. I'm already relatively lean so I didn't want to lose any weight. What got me over the hump was adding more fat. I discovered this by eating a 1 lb pork belly and feeling full for about 10 hours. Pork bellies have now become a big part of my diet along with organ meat and high fat ground beef. I also have a glass of hot bone broth every evening with a tablespoon of duck fat added to it.